During February and March 2024, global news was flooded with speculation about Kate Middleton’s whereabouts.

For weeks, the 43-year-old Princess stayed out of the public eye, sparking concern among Royal Family fans while also fueling bizarre conspiracy theories online.

These wild rumors gained even more traction after several Photoshop blunders involving Kate surfaced—leading to widespread backlash and a heartfelt public apology from her.

What the world didn’t realize at the time was that the mother of three had undergone scheduled abdominal surgery, received a cancer diagnosis, and was quietly undergoing treatment behind the scenes.

One year after the incident, a royal expert has shed light on the profound impact that the speculation had on Kate and her family.

Among the most widely debated Photoshop mishaps was a Mother’s Day post shared by Kate, featuring her children—Princes George and Louis, 11 and six, and Princess Charlotte, nine.

Critics quickly pointed out several inconsistencies in the image, such as an irregular area near Charlotte’s sleeve, mismatched window panes, a missing reflection in the glass, and Kate’s jacket zipper stopping midway.

The controversy deepened when major global news agencies, including AP, AFP, and Reuters, decided to withdraw the image, citing concerns that it had been ‘manipulated.’ Eventually, Kate admitted to editing the photo.

“There was a real sense then that they felt bruised by it,” royal author Robert Hardman told PEOPLE this week.

“It was treated like some great fraud.”

At the time, the Princess acknowledged the mistake, stating: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.

“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.

“I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day.”